Box Score

MOREHEAD, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky’s women’s basketball team led by eight at halftime and had a seven-point lead with 10 minutes left in the game, but only scored six points the rest of the way and lost 69-56 to Morehead State on Saturday.

Freshman Marie Carpenter led the Lady Colonels (4-14, 1-8 OVC) with a game-high 23 points. Courtney Lumpkin finished with 22 points for the Eagles (14-6, 7-2 OVC). Ashar Harris contributed a double-double for Morehead State, finishing with 12 points and 16 rebounds. MSU out-rebounded Eastern 46-32.

Eastern Kentucky led by eight at halftime but Morehead State began the second half with a 16-6 run to go back on top. Lumpkin scored MSU’s first 11 points of the second stanza. A three-pointer by Chynna Bozeman capped the run and gave the Eagles a 41-39 lead with 14:30 left in the game.

The two teams then exchanged a pair of runs. EKU scored eight unanswered to go in front 50-43, but the Eagles answered with a 7-0 run to tie the game with 8:09 to go. The game remained close until the final five minutes. The score changed hands four times and was tied twice during that time.

A 10-0 Eagle run starting with a three-pointer by Linda Dixon with 5:54 left in the game gave control to the home team. Dixon capped it with another trey for a 62-54 Morehead State lead with 3:19 remaining to play. The Lady Colonels never recovered.

After shooting 25 percent (7-for-28) from the field in the first half, Morehead State connected on 55 percent in the second. MSU made just 1-of-9 from three-point range in the first 20 minutes, but knocked down 4-of-7 in the second period. The Eagles out-scored Eastern 18-1 at the free throw line for the game.

In the first half, EKU used a 9-1 run to turn a one-point deficit into a six-point lead, 22-16, with 6:05 to go before the break. Carpenter hit her first three of the game during the run. The Eagles closed the gap to 26-23 on a pair of free throws by Dixon with 2:57 on the clock. However, Eastern closed out the first half with a 7-2 run to take its eight-point lead. Another Carpenter three-pointer got the run started. Her jumper with 21 seconds to go before the break set the halftime score.

After playing four consecutive games on the road, the Lady Colonels will play two straight at home beginning Thursday against Austin Peay. Tip-off at McBrayer arena is set for 5:30 p.m.